John Brennan

John Brennan, President Obama's trusted counter terror advisor has been nominated to head the Central Intelligence Agency amidst a storm of controversy. Despite being a career CIA man for more than 25 years, he's now at the centre of American foreign policy dilemmas, including questions about the use of drones, waterboarding techniques and the future of the world's most powerful intelligence agency.

A Catholic basketball player, turned academic and fluent Arabic speaker, Brennan has risen through the CIA ranks and has recently been involved in "virtually all major national security issues" alongside the President. As the Senate asks him to justify some of the agency's most controversial decisions, Jane Deith asks how he will lead the agency as it faces ever new security challenges.